BS: A traditional England batting collapse?

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: MikeL2
Date: 01 Aug 11 - 09:31 AM

Hi Alan

Very challenging indeed...to do it India will have to beat the previous record for a fourth innings win in Test Cricket.

I have just got back from spending the previous three days at the match courtesy of my No 1 son.

I have seen many test matches over the years ( though not recently) and I can say that for excitement and absorbing interest this is as good as any I have seen before.

It has everything. First one team gets on top and then another the match swaying hour by hour. Some fine performances by the likes of Broad ( both with bat & ball), Dravid, Bell, Anderson and latterly Prior, Morgan and Bresnan.

Of course now England have to finish it off and they have started well with India being 13 for 2 as I type.

I am surprised that nobody on the thread has mentioned "the Bell Incident". In many years both playing and watching cricket I have never seen quite such a strange situation.

At the game in the position where I was one couldn't clearly see what happened when the fielder mis-fielded on the boundary.

So to us, and the rest of the spectators at the game we, had to believe what we could see and that was that Bell thought the ball had gone for four and was therefore dead, and as it was the last ball before tea he assumed that it was the end of the over and walked down the pitch ( and so out of his ground) to go to the pavillion for tea.
The ball was thrown in and the wicket broken and the captain appealed for a run-out. Neither umpire seemed to know what had happened so they asked for a TV decision from the third umpire. This was judged that the batsman was out. The crowd erupted with booing and hissing. Bell and Strauss liked completely bewildered. But the decision was upheld as out.

Something must have transpired in the dressing rooms and as the players resumed after tea Bell walked out to bat. We were told that Dhoni, the India captain had retracted his appeal and Bell was allowed to continue. The crowd then cheered the sportsmanship of the India captain.

Like most others at the game I took this to be the case and agreed that the action of Dhoni was a sporting one.

However when I got home I viewed the TV recording my son had done and I now believe that the third umpire was wrong. The ball IMHO clearly hit the fielder's leg as he tried to claw the ball back and it hit his leg and rebounded on to the boundary marker......not once but twice. The fielder looked downcast and didn't make much of an attempt to return the ball quickly, leading me to believe that he knew the ball was a boundary.

In this case Bell was NOT OUT the ball being dead and therefore he could not be run out.

I don't know if this is what Dhoni saw and retracted his appeal....but in the end justice was done.

Cheers

Mike

PS Now it is 35 for 3.....but Tendulkar is still there

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: alanabit
Date: 01 Aug 11 - 09:22 AM

India now are on 31 for three. It looks like they have it all to do.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: alanabit
Date: 01 Aug 11 - 08:50 AM

Yes, the task looks challenging for India at the moment.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 01 Aug 11 - 08:14 AM

And as it was they stuck on another 100. Lovely little partnership with Bresnan and Broad. Psychology is just as important as tactics and no doubt Strauss was hoping for the the effect of a Bresnan century or a Broad 50 or a target of 500 to demoralise the Indians further.

Though not as far as getting Dravid for 6 will :)

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 07:31 PM

But that's not cricket!!!

Of course it is.

Captain for all I know could be thinking, see how the first hr goes, no hurry yet but I may want to declare at some point, perhaps even get some quick runs...

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 05:22 PM

Blimey, I forgot only 3 days had gone. Test matches normally start on a Thursday, so I was thinking that we had one day left. They should just go out there and slowly build up the score. Got to watch the weather though. Thunderstorms on their way I think.

Great day for England. Unfortunately missed most of it as we have visitors from the Netherlands. Will miss all of tomorrow. Damn.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 03:16 PM

But that's not cricket!!!

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 02:04 PM

Well there doesn't seem to be any reason to hurry. I think they'll just sort of take things as they come tomorrow morning.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 01:44 PM

Excellent day for England = 441 for 6 (374 lead) at close. I think they'll win this one.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: alanabit
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 01:44 PM

England 441 for six at stumps. That sounds like a pretty good day's work. I take it that they shall want to keep those remaining four wickets up for a while tomorrow, as they do not want to give India two days to score the runs?

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 12:16 PM

England 339 for 5. I think they will be quite pleased with the day so far. 272 ahead as it stands.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 08:26 AM

They assumed you were providing it Linda, as you live so near to the ground. Good morning session. Hope they continue in the same vain this afternoon.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 04:44 AM

Bring back Brian Johnson....you guys haven't mentioned cake once!

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Newport Boy
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 04:35 AM

Well done, alanabit - 100 not out!

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: alanabit
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 04:17 AM

Indeed. Let's hope they can set tradition aside for the day!

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 02:19 AM

Good luck to England today. Just hoping they can make a decent total today.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 30 Jul 11 - 12:31 PM

That would be my guess alan.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: alanabit
Date: 30 Jul 11 - 12:29 PM

Either way that is a brilliant comeback by England. I take it now that the priority for England is to keep some wickets up until the close of play tomorrow?

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 30 Jul 11 - 12:26 PM

In fact 288 all out now.

I wonder what England will do this time round. England or India to win, or a draw?

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 30 Jul 11 - 12:23 PM

And a few wickets have fallen. 288 for 9 now - 67 ahead.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: alanabit
Date: 30 Jul 11 - 10:44 AM

India have moved on to 215 for four at tea. It looks like England are in for a caning unless they take some wickets fast!

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 03:28 PM

What are you like GSS :-)

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: The Sandman
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 03:15 PM

of course the indians would not be bothered about scoring quickly neither would geoffrey boycott, this is not tip and run, this is a five day test match , i am not cross merely exasperated by your not understanding test match creeket, its like chess, its tactics. any fool knows you dont go around slogging when you are batting in the last hour of the day and the ball is swinging about.you should see me bat i am even slower than bailey, i believe in boring the bowlers to exasperation.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 03:08 PM

I don't think India would have been looking to score quickly for the last fifteen overs of today anyway, alanabit. Especially with 1 wicket down first ball.

We will have to see what tomorrow brings.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 03:07 PM

Alan
It is a bowlers wicket, but at the same time India were just batting out the end of the day, hoping not to lose any more wickets.

I don't know why GSS is going on. I can't see anything in your comments that was being critical of the Indians.

Les

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: alanabit
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 02:57 PM

Do you like being cross GSS? I do not know - or pretend to know much about cricket. I suppose it must have something to do with the state of the pitch that both sides have performed better with the ball than with the bat today. As you evidently know more about the game than I do, I would have been interested in your explanation. If I understood the statistics correctly, England managed about three runs per over.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: The Sandman
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 02:36 PM

only scoring a run and a half an over, for feck sake,
Trevor Bailey once took[over 4 hours] 257 minutes to score 71 runs, and on another occasion, Bailey[over 4 hours 20 minutes again] scored 38 in 262 minutes, and you criticise the indians, still its ok cos Bailey was English.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: alanabit
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 01:47 PM

So the Indian batsmen are staying calm although they are only scoring a run and a half per over. It sounds like a bowler's pitch. I wonder what will happen tomorrow. I guess it could have been worse!

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: GUEST,Uncle Rumpo
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 12:38 PM

Now this reminds me why I don't do TWITTER !!!

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 12:31 PM

Whoo hoo.
India
first ball India 0 runs 1 wicket James Anderson.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 12:10 PM

Well batted Stuart Broad. 53 N.O. 208 for 9

Wicket looks as though it is doing something. So am hoping they get some bowling tonight.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: The Sandman
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 11:58 AM

no comment

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: alanabit
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 11:56 AM

Should have kept my trap shut! Swann has just gone with England three short of two hundred. It looks like England will get some bowling in before close of play tonight.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: alanabit
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 11:53 AM

Quite a knock for the ninth wicket. England are now 196 for 8. A couple of hours ago 150 all out would have seemed more likely.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 11:29 AM

50 run partnership between Broad and Swann. 178 for 8.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 11:09 AM

I've ordered curry from the caterer for dinner tonight!

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 10:37 AM

124 for 8 Bell gone.

I was crossing my fingers that Strauss would win the toss and put India in.

Hey backwoodsman it might be over before you get there tomorrow :-)

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: GUEST,Uncle Rumpo
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 10:06 AM

"I work my butt off all week"

butt !!!???

this isn't Baseball, this is Cricket !!!

We only have "Arses" in cricket.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 09:46 AM

88 for 6 now.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 09:44 AM

Hey, back off with the rain-dance! I've paid £120 for tickets for tomorrow. I work my butt off all week, whadya wanna go wrecking my weekend for! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: alanabit
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 09:37 AM

Oh dear! This looks more like England: 85 for five in the thirty-seventh over. Any prospects of a slight improvement, or at least four days of torrential downpours?

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 09:00 AM

Bonzo knows all this. He's not as daft as he likes us all to think he is! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 08:08 AM

It means that Trent Bridge wicket is more inclined to seam and swing which will favour the England bowlers who are more used to those conditions. As Mike suggest above you should watch and understand cricket before you criticize the game and it's followers.

The girls you saw practising bowling are in all likelihood our World Champions, England Ladies team. Yes, our women are good at this game too!

Still can't figure out why Cook is having such a lot of trouble batting against Sharma. This is a man who was smashing regular 50's barely weeks ago.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 07:48 AM

"Wicket suits England far more than Lords"

What is that jargon all about?

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 08:45 PM

Well, in the interval between the tests thi sily little spat between Bonzo and the people he has succesfully wound up ( you silly buggers) has provided some entertainment. 2nd test at Trent Bridge today. Wicket suits England far more than Lords, where a Draw was expected. DONT put money on a drawn series.

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 01:12 PM

Thank you for your kind wishes, she is now sitting in a chair but still connected to all manner of drip and electronic gagetry.

I'm sure you are right about taking more interest in cricket. Perhaps I'll go to a county game or two on my day off from next month!

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: MikeL2
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 11:39 AM

Hi Bonzo

<" Why do bowlers do a little dance before they let go of the ball? ">

Easy.....It depends upon if they are winning or losing. If they are winning they are doing a "pray that it doesn't rain dance". If they are losing it is a real rain dance.

You see if you took more interest in cricket you would know these things....lol

I hope that whatever it was that your wife had surgery for heals well and that she recovers completely.

Regards

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 10:50 AM

Now that my wife is back from the operating theatre, with tubes and leads attached, the afternoon activities have begun over at Lords and I can occasionally hear the sound of bat and ball.

Why do bowlers do a little dance before they let go of the ball?

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 06:19 AM

There are girls practising bowling in the nets at Lords at the moment!

Subject: RE: BS: A traditional England batting collapse?
From: alanabit
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 05:44 AM

I think it is time we Brits initiated a "World Series" in Pooh Sticks. Only we know the rules. Only we play it and every year we can guarantee a "World Champion" form our shores (and there is no danger of a batting collapse).